Thayers, Glaucous-winged or Hybrid Gull ??? (1 Viewer)

[Bird_Feak1]

Hi,
I found this gull mixed in with a flock of Herring Gulls last night on a lake near my house. A couple more pics are at: http://timsbirdpics.cjb.net Currantly I have no idea what species it is. Any gull experts know what it is ? Thanks,
Tim

 

[Larry Lade]

Hi Tim,

I am by no means a "gull expert", but to me the bird looks like it may be a Glaucous-winged X Western Gull hybrid. I imagine someone will come along and "shoot down" this suggestion, but looking through Sibley's field guide this is what I came up with.

 

[HH75]

Hi Tim,
Despite not having seen any of the large gulls typical of the US west coast, I would say that this cannot be a Thayer's on structure alone, also some plumage features seem wrong for that species. I would tend to lean towards Glaucous-winged x Western also, but would have to look up the literature to confirm my suspicions.
Harry

 

[Bluetail]

I'm no gull expert either, but I have difficulty seeing any Glaucous-winged content in this bird. All the Glaucous-winged Gulls I saw in the Seattle area a few years ago had whacking bills, at least as dagger-like as Glaucous Gull if not more so. Even the hybrids seemed to have longer bills than the bird in the photo. Its head shape looks too rounded for Glaucous-winged too. Not saying it's not a hybrid, just that I doubt Glaucous-winged had anything to do with it. Is there any reason why it can't be a Kumlien's Gull?

 

[oldsquaw]

Looks to small for a western/glaucous-winged hybred. Their bills are quite large too. Maybe a full Thayer's or Thayer's/herring - the bill looks small enough to be Thayer's. The size compared to Herring is slightly large for Thayer's. but within range. Just my thoughts. Van

 

[DJ Sideboard]

Structurally I can't see it being from the Thayers-Kumleins cline.

Why not a leucistic Herring Gull?

 

[HH75]

Hi all,
In a real masochistic 'mea culpa' moment, may I point out that, on closer scrutiny, it really doesn't seem to have any GW Gull input, as the structure looks wrong for this. Blame it on a poor monitor, tiredness etc, it doesn't really matter: it was a wrong call on my part, we all make them!
That said, it really doesn't look right for Thayer's/Kumlien's either (tail would be very dark for Kumlien's, and the state of wear of that plumage has produced a very odd pattern for either, though possible. Also seems as large as the Herrings?), and wonder if DJ may be correct in stating that it was a leucistic Herring (or, more likely, a hybrid involving Herring??)
Of course, it is often nigh on impossible to conclusively identify an odd gull, even given more evidence than provided here....
Harry

 

[Bird_Feak1]

Thanks for the help guys. After reading your input and looking at pics on the net, I'm thinking that it maybe a Thayers/Herring Hybrid, I don't think its a Herring as it did not have (to me at least) the jizz of one. But then what do I know The local guys I've asked about it have no idea on what it is.

Tim